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How crises affect you: A Women's Agenda and Good Shepherd Survey

This survey is anonymous. All responses are confidential. Some questions cover sensitive topics — please only answer what you feel comfortable sharing. There is a "prefer not to say" option throughout.
SECTION 1: Cost of living
1.Has your household income kept pace with the cost of living over the past two years?
2.Have you had to cut back on any of the following in the past 12 months? (Tick all that apply)
3.What proportion of your household income currently goes to rent or mortgage?
4.Could you cover an unexpected expense of $1,000 without going into debt?
5.Compared to two years ago, how do you feel about your financial security?
SECTION 2: Cost of Care
6.Have you ever reduced your working hours, changed roles, or left the workforce to care for a child or family member?
7.Do you have ongoing unpaid caring responsibilities? For example, caring for children, elderly relatives, or a friend or relative with a disability?
8.Approximately how many hours per week do you spend on unpaid care? (Include childcare, caring for parents, managing household logistics)
9.Has caring for others affected your financial security in any of the following ways? (Tick all that apply)
SECTION 3: Cost of external factors
10.Have you cut back on heating or cooling your home due to energy costs at any point in the past two years?
11.Have you reduced how much you drive due to the cost of fuel in the past 12 months?
12.Has an extreme weather event — such as a bushfire, flood or severe storm — had a financial impact on your household in the past three years?
13.Are you concerned that AI could affect your job, role or industry in the next three years?
SECTION 4: THE COMPOUNDING PICTURE
14.Which of the following have affected your financial security in the past two years? (Tick all that apply)
SECTION 5: ECONOMIC ABUSE
The following question covers sensitive topics regarding economic abuse. Please only answer what you feel comfortable sharing. All responses are completely confidential.
If these questions raise issues for you, help is available. You can call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit 1800 Respect’s online chat. You can also visit the Financial Independence Hub by Good Shepherd (our partner on this survey).
15.Have you ever experienced any of the following from a current or former partner? (Tick all that apply)
SECTION 6: SEEKING HELP — AWARENESS AND BARRIERS
16.Were you aware that the following types of support exist in Australia?
Yes
No
No-interest loans for essential items and expenses
Free financial counselling services
Family violence financial recovery programs
Emergency housing support
Financial independence programs specifically for DFV survivors
17.If you were experiencing financial difficulty, family violence or housing insecurity, how likely would you be to seek help from a support service?
18.If you would hesitate to seek help, which of the following might hold you back? (Tick all that apply)
19.If you have ever sought help from a financial, housing or family violence service, at what point did you reach out?
20.What would most motivate you to seek help earlier rather than waiting? (Tick all that apply)
SECTION 7: ABOUT YOU
Almost done. The following questions help us understand who responded to this survey so we can report findings accurately.
21.What is your age?
22.What is your current work status?
23.What is your current housing situation?
24.What Local Government Area do you live in? You can leave a postcode or local area name here. If you'd prefer not to answer, please say N/A
25.Do you have any of the following caring or parenting responsibilities? (Tick all that apply)
26.If you have dependent children, how would you describe your parenting situation?
27.Thank you for completing this survey. Your responses will contribute to the first national picture of the compounding financial pressures facing Australian women and families — and help ensure that existing support services reach the women who need them most.

If you'd like to leave comments on the survey, please do so here. Otherwise, leave blank.